The present invention relates to a defect inspecting apparatus and a defect inspecting method for inspection of a defect occurrence situation in manufacturing processes for pattern formation on a substrate to manufacture an object, such as a semiconductor manufacturing process, a liquid crystal display device manufacturing process, and a printed circuit board manufacturing process, in which a defect when detected is analyzed and countermeasures are taken.
As a background art of the technical field, Japanese Patent No. 4838122 is known. This publication discloses “An optical apparatus comprising: a second optical instrument to focus a radiation beam at a second incidence angle in a vertical or approximately vertical direction with respect to an illuminated region on a sample surface on a second focused optical beam, wherein the second incidence angle being different from the first incidence angle; an elongated reflecting surface to reflect radiation beam in the beam focused with the second optical instrument with respect to the illuminated region on the sample surface; a first detector array; and a light concentrating optical instrument to condense a radiation beam, occurred from the first and/or second focused beam and scattered or reflected from a first line and/or illuminated region on the sample surface, and focus a radiation beam condensed from a part of the line and/or the illuminated region on a corresponding detector in the first array, wherein arrival of a radiation beam in the beam focused with the second optical instrument and mirror-reflected with the illuminated region on the sample surface at the first detector array being prevented with the elongated reflecting surface” (claim 1 of claims).
Further, FIG. 12 of the Japanese Patent No. 4838122 illustrates a configuration where a narrow mirror 250 is provided above an objective lens 222. A beam emitted from a light source is reflected with the narrow mirror 250, then is irradiated via the objective lens 222 to the sample. The reflection light from the sample is detected with a detection systems provided in an upper position and an oblique position. The detection system provided in the upper position performs detection while selecting a wavelength with a filter 272 to transmit light having a wavelength λ1 of the reflection light not shielded with the narrow mirror 250 in the reflection light from the sample, but shielding light having a wavelength λ2.
As another background art of the present technical field, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 6-109647 is known. This publication discloses “A defect inspecting apparatus having: a first lens to form an optical Fourier-transformed image of an inspection pattern; and a second lens to perform inverse Fourier transformation on the Fourier-transformed image, wherein an image of a defect in the inspection pattern is projected with the second lens, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a dot or line shaped illuminated region on the inspection pattern; optical filter means for eliminating a component corresponding to the Fourier-transformed image when the defect does not exist in the inspection pattern from the optical Fourier-transformed image of the inspection pattern; photodetection means for photoelectric converting the image of the defect of the inspection pattern projected with the second lens; and relative scan means for relative displacement of the inspection pattern and the illumination means.” (claim 1 of claims).
FIG. 2 of the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 6-109647 illustrates a configuration where light emitted from a light source is reflected with a reflecting mirror 9 and irradiated as a slit-shaped light beam via an objective lens 10 to the sample. In the light refracted on the sample surface and transmitted through the objective lens 10, light not shielded with the reflecting mirror is detected via a space filter provided on the Fourier transformation plane of the objective lens 10.